Petrobras CEO says Brazil govt not interfering in fuel pricing

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BRASILIA, May 22 (Reuters) - The CEO of Brazilian state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA said on Tuesday that the federal government is not interfering with the firm’s ability to set its own prices, though it is concerned about a steep hike in the price of diesel.

Pedro Parente told reporters in Brasilia after a meeting with the finance and energy ministers that there was no discussion of Petrobras changing its pricing strategy, and that it was not the government’s goal to interfere. A sharp rise in diesel prices in the past year has ignited a nationwide protest by truckers, who are blocking key highways in agricultural and industrial hubs. (Reporting by Matheus Maia Writing by Brad Brooks)